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Adapting to a new workplace (View Comments)

Ankita Shreeram

Posted On Friday, November 27, 2009 at 12:24:21 PM

A new job brings with it numerous challenges, the first of which is to feel at ease in the new environment. The faster the new recruit adapts, the better it is for his or her career graph in the company, as fast results have become the norm in today’s times.

So how does a new entrant go about familiarising himself or herself with the company’s ways? Preeti Pradhan, AVP-operations and compliance, AuthBridge puts it succinctly, “Be alert, observe, ask questions and be open to adapt to a different working ethics.”New recruits can take heart from the words, Sunil Dhawan, Director, Expanza Access Ltd as he says, “the first few months are critical for the entrant and expectancy of the management in the initial months is usually lowest. The new employee should have the zeal to learn as a child, listen more, talk less, must have passion to go in detail if required.”

Pankaj Agarwal, Group CEO & MD, Mindteck (India) lays greater emphasis on the organisation’s culture. “Firstly he or she should understand the organisation's culture, people, reporting structure and the organisation hierarchy thoroughly. Attitude plays a critical role in adapting to a new workplace. S/he should ensure that they attend the induction program organised by the organisation,” he says.

Organisations, on their part, ensure that they make room for new entrants. The processes that Authbridge arranges for new recruits are “Induction by HR, introduction to the organisation background & the management team, process training, mentoring on the floor and re-evaluation by HR post a week on the floor.” Mindteck has a mentorship program for new recruits.

There are certain specific skills that a new entrant can work on to speed up the process of induction. “An open mind to the new environment and people; also fitment to the role, interest in the job at hand, good communication skills and a pleasing personality help immensely in quick adapting,” says Pradhan. Dhawan enlists seven skills: flexibility, information seeking, Initiative, interpersonal understanding, relationship building, self confidence, teamwork and cooperation.

Given the need for speed, every new entrant worries about how much time they can take in adjusting to the new workplace. “It takes less than a week, if the induction is excellent. Otherwise it can go up to three to six months. The time to adjust depends on the company's induction process and the maturity of the immediate superior,” says Dhawan. Authbridge expects even quicker results. “For the adaptable a day or two; for those with fixed ideas about how things should be – adjusting could take up to a week or two,” avers Pradhan. Mindtech believes in starting the induction process right from the interview stage. “Mindteck’s culture is that the new hire get adjusted to the new workplace on day one. We ensure that the shortlisted candidates are taken care during the interview stage so that he feels comfortable when he or she is on board,” says Agarwal.

When a recruit has adapted to the organisation completely, it definitely reflects in her or her performance. “surface, be it initiative to bring some change in the working area, high energy levels to approach a problem, sharing more openly his/her point of view, demonstrating high level of organisational awareness and willingness to align one's own behaviour with the needs, priorities and goals of the organisation,” says Dhawan. Pradhan believes the sign of an adjusted employee is, “Employee’s achievement of set targets with the integrity and quality expected and a proactive and collaborative approach to issues.”

Thus, flexibility is a quality that every job seeker must learn to develop.

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